Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

In the new year, the most important thing is actually the scientific examination.

The imperial examination reform plan has been finalized, but it will not be implemented this year.The promotion of such influential fundamental policies requires a buffer period, and it also needs to be known to the whole society.

Therefore, the new plan will be formally implemented during the next scientific expedition, that is, three years later.

Perhaps it was because rumors about the rankings of the imperial examinations had already spread that there were so many people taking the exams this year, and the competition was fierce.

It is understandable that everyone wants to have a genuine professional background.

In fact, since the Tang Dynasty, the importance of imperial examination background has been increasing.

Of the 214 prime ministers in the Tang Dynasty, 150 were from the imperial examination, accounting for 70%, of which 124 were from the Jinshi department.

Of the 46 prime ministers of the Five Dynasties, 25 were from the imperial examination, accounting for 54%, of which 23 were from the Jinshi department and 2 were from the Mingjing department.

Of the 71 prime ministers in the Song Dynasty, 55 were from the imperial examination, accounting for 77%, all of them were from the Jinshi department, and most of them were Gaodi.

This year, Shao Shude personally presided over the palace examination. A total of 78 Jinshi participated in the Jintai Palace. In the end, Cui Miao, a native of Bianzhou, won the first prize and was granted the title of Zhongshu Sheng Youbuque.

Since the founding of the Great Xia, there have been only two palace examinations. The two champions, Cui Xun and Cui Miao, one is Secretary Lang and the other is Youbuque. They are both very good and noble officials.

In April, Shao Fu, Princess of Dengcheng, descended to Li Yanmei, the deputy commander of Qizhou Prefecture Army and the son of Li Tangbin.

Shao Caiwei, the princess of Jiangling who has been loved since she was a child, chose Lu Xian, the youngest son of classmate, Mianchi county lieutenant and secretary supervisor Lu Siye, and made all the honorable children sigh.

On April [-]th, Shao Shude conferred the titles of Xuan's daughter Shao Yi as Princess Yongjia, Pei Zhenyi's daughter Shao Xian as Yongkang Princess, Chu's daughter Shao Xi as Qingtian Princess, and Chu's daughter Shao Wei as Xianyou Princess.

At the end of April, Zhang Guiba, deputy envoy of the Golden Sword Army, died of illness. Li Sizhao was ordered to replace him, and some murder weapons were given. Taichang Qing Dinghui presided over the funeral.

The reason for this is mainly because Zhang Guiba's daughter is his own daughter-in-law who married Saburo Shao Mianren.He is also an important member of Liang Junjiang, so Shao Shude doesn't mind giving mourning.

On the first day of May, the Shuowang Dynasty will be held in the Jintai Hall. After the end, there will be a banquet in the porch, and then everyone packs their luggage and drives back to Dongdu.

Before leaving, Shao Shude summoned Yin Fengheng, who was left behind in Beijing, to talk with him.

"After returning to the Eastern Capital, I don't know if I will come to the Northern Capital again." Shao Shude said: "Feng Qing stays behind for Beijing, so you know what the next focus will be?"

When I get older, every year counts as a year, and I am no longer as sure as I was when I was young.It sounds a little sad, but this is life.

"Immigration, agricultural development, road construction, enlightenment, and trade." Feng Heng said confidently.

"Let's expand and talk about it." Shao Shude nodded slightly and said.

"The Fan tribe in Youzhou still needs to be finished. The original people in the counties of Beiping will relocate another [-] households to Hubei Road, and replace them with immigrants from Kansai." Feng Heng said.

"I am in Youzhou, and there is still turmoil. After I leave, more people may jump out. Feng Qing's methods should be softer, not too blunt." Shao Shude said: "Of course, if someone makes a disturbance, immediately contact the garrison and strictly suppress it .Go on.”

The immigration in Youzhou is actually coming to an end, and it will last for at most three years before it will stabilize.At that time, the former Youzhou Town Zhuzhou will also become the core basic board of Daxia - the so-called basic board, the core lies in people, Shao Shude has grasped this key early.

"The three-crop crop rotation system will be further promoted. The supporting livestock, farm tools and enough agricultural students have been contacted by many parties and can be resolved one after another."

"Very good." Shao Shude commented: "The strategy of simultaneously developing agriculture and animal husbandry does not lie in agriculture. You can realize its importance, which is very good."

The sustainable increase in agricultural production brought about by the three-crop rotation system is certainly gratifying.But in addition to the prosperity of commerce and handicrafts, Shao Shude also attached great importance to it.

Leather, tendon, horn, woolen cloth, dairy products, spirits, etc., this is a series of industries, interlocking and indispensable.Their existence will bring a large amount of cash income to northern farmers, which is of great significance.

During the prosperity of ancient times, farmers’ families may have enough grain. For example, during the years of Kaiyuan and Tianbao, they could save for one year after three years of farming, which is called a prosperous age.However, farmers still have very few channels for obtaining cash. After their livelihood has improved to a certain level, they cannot go up, as if there is a natural moat lying there.

On the whole, as the climate continues to get colder, many places in the north are no longer suitable for sericulture.In the Tang Dynasty, there was "cicadas singing in the empty mulberry forest, and the Xiaoguan road in August", but now you go to Jingyuan to see, is there anyone still growing mulberry and weaving cloth?Very little.

To be honest, the price of silk is still higher than that of woolen cloth.If given a choice, the people of Jingyuan would still be willing to weave silk, instead of raising a lot of sheep to weave woolen cloth.

However, compared with 30 years ago, people have noticed the drop in temperature. The traditional production mode of planting mulberry and weaving has come to an end and has to be changed.

Having come to this world once, enjoyed all kinds of expenses, and played with so many women, Shao Shude felt that he had the responsibility to come up with a solution for the northern people so that their original living standards would not completely collapse, and even have a slight rise.

To zoom in on the perspective, after the climate gets colder, the south will gradually become more livable, and the economy will get better every year.From the perspective of balancing the economic differences between the North and the South, this is also a necessary measure.

Finally, there is the role of national defense. This needs no further explanation, everyone understands it.

"The first-class national road to Lu County will be completed in the middle of the year. In the second half of the year, I will recruit conscripts and continue to build roads eastward." Feng Heng said again.

"This matter is not limited to the Beiping Prefecture, it needs to be coordinated with Jizhou, Pingzhou, and Yingzhou." Shao Shude said.

The first-class national highway in Hebei is currently mainly built in the northern section.

The construction from Changping to Peiping was completed last year, and the construction from Beiping to Luxian is about to be completed. In the future, it will go eastward until it reaches Yingzhou.As for whether the second half is to take the coastal Liaoxi Corridor or the traditional road out of the fortress, we will see at that time.

"In matters of education, the minister will urge all counties to widely establish schools of economics, agriculture, medicine, mathematics, and engineering, and strive to popularize at least the three types of schools of economics, agriculture, and medicine." Feng Heng continued.

"Feng Qing is sincere." Shao Shude said with a smile, "That's very good. Mathematics and engineering can be run in the state."

The establishment of Confucian classics and medicine at the county level is a rule that existed in the Tang Dynasty. It has been popularized and there are many relevant talents.But Daxia attaches great importance to agriculture, and now agronomy is also one of the foundations.

Agricultural students who do well can also be promoted. Although the highest level is only at the state level, most of them are still in the county, but this is the first time in the world.

Of course, as far as the former Tang Dynasty is concerned, people with various eccentric identities can become officials, and everyone has long been used to it.

Shao Shude has also been instilling an impression in people: not only people with a background in the imperial examination can be an official. Among those with a background in the imperial examination, although the Jinshi department is the most important, it is not the only way.

He never allowed the imperial examination to unify the officialdom.All the prime ministers in the Song Dynasty were born as Jinshi, and the proportion of senior officials was actually higher than that in the Tang Dynasty. It is incredible that the official positions below the prime minister are roughly the same.Logically speaking, a stricter imperial examination system should give ordinary people more opportunities, but this is not the case.

The reason is probably that it blocked the path of officials from other backgrounds, such as "military-transferred cadres", and the promotion path of their descendants who bought their lives.

This ratio is actually very large.

Warriors fight their lives on the battlefield, isn't it for the sake of sealing their wives?You have blocked this road, or lowered the upper limit of the Yinguan, which will naturally dampen enthusiasm.That being the case, this world belongs to you imperial examination literati, you can go and play on your own, and I will be able to make sense on the battlefield, why bother to fight?
It is most appropriate for officials from various channels to balance the competition.

"In terms of trade, I plan to expand Zhigu Port to better communicate with Liaodong Road and even the south." Feng Heng finally said: "I think about it, and in a few decades, Liaodong will definitely be an important town in the country, and it will be the most important city in the Central Plains. The connection is increasing day by day. The south is included in Wanghua, and it will also be connected with the northern capital in the future. Zhigu Port is sufficient now, but not necessarily in the future, and expansion is imperative.”

Shao Shude nodded.

Water transportation is convenient, we all know that.As the capital of the north, Beiping now has a fairly abundant grain output, but what about the future?He's not sure how much impact climate change will have, but it's always a good idea to plan ahead.

And sometimes it's not just the climate that's the problem.

In ancient and modern China and abroad, many capitals were originally located in places with abundant products. Why did they gradually run out of food?
One is the need to supply a large number of officials, soldiers, businessmen, handicraftsmen and other non-productive people.

The second is that the capital's commerce will definitely be very developed, and commercially developed areas will inevitably give birth to commercialized agriculture.People near the capital will grow vegetables, fruits and even flowers for consumption in the capital instead of food.

The third is that the dignitaries will occupy a large amount of land, build polo fields, occupy hunting grounds, and so on.Even if they do not occupy land, they will intercept water sources and build hydraulic workshops, which will affect agricultural production.

There are many other scattered reasons. In short, things are complicated. The food production near the capital will definitely decline. Both Chinese and foreign history have proved this point.

The conditions in Beiping Prefecture are actually very good. There are canals leading to the fertile Hebei Great Plains and even Henan. It can also communicate with overseas countries. The river and sea transportation are quite convenient. It is indeed necessary to expand the port.

"What Feng Qing said is very much in line with my wishes." After listening, Shao Shude got up and walked into the yard.

Feng Heng followed quickly.

Shao Shude looked at the plants and trees in the Changqiu courtyard and remained silent for a long time.

"Feng Qing." He shouted.

"The minister is here."

Shao Shude took down an epee from the equipment rack, danced, and asked, "I heard that Feng Qing rode a horse and galloped to shoot, but he hit three or four out of ten. I don't know how to use the sword?"

"I used Modao in my early years." Feng Heng said with a smile, "It happened more than 30 years ago."

"I know how to use a Mo knife, but I know how to use an epee." Shao Shude said: "I bestowed this sword on you, saying 'Shang Fang cuts horse sword'. The situation in Beiping is complicated, and I am always a little worried. Feng Qing can use this sword to kill traitors , rebellious ministers, and treacherous ministers, beheaded first and played later, and dealt with by thunder."

"I obey the order." Feng Heng solemnly replied with a solemn face.

He is Beiping Yin, who stays behind in Beijing.

The position of Beiping Yin is nothing, only half a rank higher than the governor, and he can only manage civil affairs, not military power.However, the position of staying behind in Beijing is grasped by the military and government, and the power is quite heavy.

Now with Shang Fang's Zhan Ma Jian, he has more confidence in his speech and can vigorously implement various policies.

On the third day of May, Shao Shude left Beijing, traveled westward, and returned to Luoyang via Hedong.